Alice LeBlanc is an economist and an independent consultant who has worked for the past twenty years to promote market mechanisms as tools to address climate change and sustainable development. Her clients have included the Urban Land Institute and other NGOs, USEPA, Government of Australia, World Bank, United Nations, Commission for Environmental Cooperation and private sector clients in the U.S., Canada and the EU.

Ms. LeBlanc headed the Office of Environment and Climate Change at American International Group (AIG), where she designed and implemented AIG’s global corporate climate change strategy.  She worked as a Senior Economist at the Environmental Defense Fund and as Senior Vice President at Environmental Financial Products and the Chicago Climate Exchange.

Prior to her work in the environmental field, Ms. LeBlanc was a bank economist in Houston, Texas and a strategic planner in the oil and gas industry.  She has made numerous presentations all over the world and has  given testimony before Congress.

Ms. LeBlanc holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Smith College and an M.S. in Economics from the University of Houston.  She is a member of the Society of Woman Geographers, and serves on advisory boards to the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Marine Environmental Research Institute.  She lives in New York City.

Patricia Hoffman is the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability at the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability leads the Department of Energy’s (DOE) efforts to modernize the electric grid through the development and implementation of national policy pertaining to electric grid reliability and the management of research, development, and demonstration activities for “next generation” electric grid infrastructure technologies.

Hoffman is responsible for developing and implementing a long-term research strategy for modernizing and improving the resiliency of the electric grid. Hoffman directs research on visualization and controls, energy storage and power electronics, high temperature superconductivity and renewable/distributed systems integration. She also oversees the business management of the office including human resources, budget development, financial execution, and performance management. Before joining the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Hoffman was the Program Director for the Federal Energy Management Program which implements efficiency measures in the federal sector and the Program Manager for the Distributed Energy Program that developed advanced natural gas power generation and combined heat and power systems. She also managed the Advanced Turbine System program resulting in a high-efficiency industrial gas turbine product.

Hoffman holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Ceramic Science and Engineering from Penn State University.

Tony Clifford is the Chief Executive Officer of Standard Solar, Inc. Since 2007 Mr. Clifford has led Standard Solar’s rapid growth into a nationally known PV developer/ EPC. Mr. Clifford began his career at Solarex Corporation, later acquired by British Petroleum and known as BP Solar. Throughout his career, Mr. Clifford has served as chief executive officer or chief financial officer of three high growth technology companies that were acquired by major corporations. He is an elected board member of the national Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), serves on SEIA’s Executive Committee and is also the president of the regional chapter of SEIA, MDV-SEIA. Mr. Clifford is the author of a DOE report entitled Tax-Advantaged Investments in Renewable Energy Projects; and received a “Special Achievement Award for Technology Demonstration” from the U. S. Secretary of Energy. He was awarded the 2011 Industry Leader Award by the Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC), for his contributions to the advancement of solar and other clean energy resources in the state. Mr. Clifford earned his MBA at University of Virginia’s Darden School and his undergraduate degree at Penn State.

Eric Wesoff will be moderating the Friday, April 19th plenary session at SOLAR 2013.

Rhone Resch will be speaking on Friday, April 19th from 10:15-11:45.

Rhone Resch is the President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national trade association of the solar energy industry in the United States.  Representing an industry of over 5,000 companies and 100,000 employees, Rhone is the architect of the association’s strategic priorities.  Rhone has over 20 years of experience in the public and private sector. He previously served as the Vice President for the Natural Gas Supply Association and as a Program Manager at the EPA’s Climate Protection Division. Rhone holds an MPA in Management from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, a Master of Environmental Engineering from SUNY Syracuse, and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Chu is a distinguished scientist and co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics (1997). He has devoted his recent scientific career to the search for new solutions to our energy challenges and stopping global climate change – a mission he continues with even greater urgency as Secretary of Energy.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Chu was the Director of the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, where he led the lab in pursuit of alternative and renewable energy technologies. He also taught at the University of California as a Professor of Physics and Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology. Previously, he held positions at Stanford University and AT&T Bell Laboratories.

Dr. Chu’s research in atomic physics, quantum electronics, polymer and biophysics includes tests of fundamental theories in physics, the development of methods to laser cool and trap atoms, atom interferometry, the development of the first atomic fountain, and the manipulation and study of polymers and biological systems at the single molecule level. While at Stanford, he helped start Bio-X, a multi-disciplinary initiative that brings together the physical and biological sciences with engineering and medicine.

The holder of 10 patents, Dr. Chu has published nearly 250 scientific and technical papers. He remains active with his research group and has recently published work on general relativity and single molecule biology and biophysics that includes sub-nanometer molecular imaging with optical microscopy, cadherin adhesion, neural vesicle fusion, and nerve growth factor transport. About 30 alumni of his research group have gone on to become professors in their own right and have been recognized by dozens of prizes and awards.

Dr. Chu is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academia Sinica, the Korean Academy of Sciences and Technology and numerous other civic and professional organizations. He received an A.B. degree in mathematics, a B.S. degree in physics from the University of Rochester, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley as well as honorary degrees from 15 universities.

Dr. Chu was born in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1948. He is married to Dr. Jean Chu, who holds a D.Phil. in Physics from Oxford and has served as chief of staff to two Stanford University presidents as well as Dean of Admissions. Secretary Chu has two grown sons, Geoffrey and Michael, by a previous marriage.

In announcing Dr. Chu’s selection, President Obama said, “The future of our economy and national security is inextricably linked to one challenge: energy. Steven has blazed new trails as a scientist, teacher, and administrator, and has recently led the Berkeley National Laboratory in pursuit of new alternative and renewable energies. He is uniquely suited to be our next Secretary of Energy as we make this pursuit a guiding purpose of the Department of Energy, as well as a national mission.” Dr. Chu was sworn into office as the 12th Secretary of Energy on January 21, 2009.